Introduction
Plays are a crucial step in the healing and growth of children in long-term care and serve as the foundation for such a process. The main goal is to provide a space where children of different ages can practice a variety of games, as these activities help them to develop critical cognitive, physical, social, and emotional abilities. That is why our project is aimed at the construction of an indoor or outdoor play center second to none in our hospital facility, specifically for children between three and ten years of age.
Recreational facility aside, the play center is a whole development center that has been expertly created to support children’s emotional and physical well-being. We want to give children the opportunity to do something else that can bring them joy, enable them to explore their world, and connect them with others, even during difficult times, through our ability to blend playing into their recovery process easily.
Understanding the needs of early and middle childhood
Early and middle childhood is the stage where children are fast approaching the stage in their lives, which is marked by noteworthy milestone moments in terms of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional aspects. It is fundamental to the whole process to understand these specific needs and produce an environment that will quite fit the growth of the children within these age ranges.
Cognitive Development: In the process of their early childhood, kids’ cognitive capabilities exhibit high rates of growth. They are budding little scientists as they conduct pretend experiments, they fact-check with authority figures from cartoons, and they also enhance their language acquisition. During the middle childhood stage, the development of cognitive functions progresses to a more complex thinking system, abstract reasoning, and the expanding of vocabulary (Rohde & Larsen, 2023). Thus, our play center will be diverse and offer different types of toys and activities that stimulate creative thinking, problem-solving, and language development at each stage of child development.
Physical Development: At this early stage, the process takes place with abundant physical development and specialization in motor skills. Gross motor skills that require running, hopping, etc., are improved, and fine motor skills like writing and drawing come to the fore (Dinkel & Dev, 2020). However, in middle childhood, kids go on with physical development, in which they develop coordination, balance, and strength. Our playground will offer the necessary tools, apparatus, and structures that will effectively build gross and fine motor skills in children while giving them the opportunities to exercise their bodies. These materials should be age-appropriate so as to provide for safe play.
Social Development: Early childhood lays the foundation for social skills such as sharing, cooperation, and empathy. Friendship really starts killing up when it becomes more important than in the early childhood age, alongside self-identifying and increasing complexity of social activity. With a focus on social development, our center will have a space for joint games and group activities and peer interaction will be encouraged to shape positive social relationships during the different stages.
Emotional Development: The early childhood period seems to be when children emotionally explore and regulate their feelings. One of the first things they learn during this time is to identify and express their feelings. In middle childhood, kids grow more aware of themselves and others while handling the difficulties of feelings that become more complicated and social relations that follow (Niblett & Hiscott, 2020). Our play center will be equipped with sensory rooms that provide calming experiences and quiet areas for contemplation as well as artistic and emotional expression through the various creative avenues that fit the emotional needs of a child at various developmental stages.
III. Designing the Indoor Play Center
Creating an indoor play center is a critical part of creating an exciting and enjoyable atmosphere for kids to play, learn, and socialize. The logical elaboration of the idea to establish an indoor playground inside our long-term medical care center includes deliberate calculation of the number of rooms to be allocated, the selection of the equipment, placement of the furniture in a room-by-room manner, and the division of the space into age-appropriate sectors. The next part describes the design principles and characteristics of the indoor play center, as it also makes sure that children between the ages of three and ten benefit from cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development.
Layout and Space Allocation: In order to facilitate active play for various activities, the indoor play center must be separated into different zones that cater to different ages. Open space for play will be provided, but calm areas will give room for dreaming, their use, and rest. Not limiting seating to normal rows and using modern furniture will facilitate adapting to whichever activities are needed and of different sizes and thus will help the group members engage in and feel included in the session.
Equipment and Toys Selection
Cognitive Development Toys: Interactive toys, including puzzles, building blocks, and educational games, will allow children to solve problems, identify spatial awareness issues, and develop cognitive flexibility. Interactive learning has been found to be an effective means of learning with which children can remember, and this will be fostered through interactive learning stations.
Physical Development Equipment: Gross motor skills will be promoted through climbing steps, balance beam exercises, and sensory play stations. These exercises will achieve sensory processing. Tactile and fine motor skills such as threading beads or following an art-making activity will be good for eye-hand coordination and precision.
Social Development Toys: Dramatic play, puppet theater, and collaborative games will be used as active engagement tools where social interaction, team cooperation, and conflict resolution will take place. Utilize small-world play props and dress-up costumes that facilitate imagination and empathy. This role play will help to develop social-emotional skills.
Emotional Development Toys: Calming sensory objects, including sensory bins, tactile materials, and calming pictures, will help the sense of self-regulation and self-expression of emotions. The comfort that things like stuffed animals and warm, cozy reading nooks can provide will help soothe stress and will offer a haven during times of distress.
Furniture Placement and Seating Areas: Comfortable seats in the play area will ensure a tranquil and restful space for books and drawing or just a time-out. A variety of seating choices are offered in the classroom, which include bean bags, floor pillows, or child-sized chairs to allow the children to choose what they prefer best (Moreira & Veiga, 2023). Moreover, lower tables and shelves will be there for children to utilize, empowering independence and building a spirit of ownership.
Separating Space for Early Childhood and Middle Childhood: We will see that the indoor facility is divided into designated areas for early and middle childhood so that every child’s preferences and skill needs are taken into account. Small height or wide-ending units will be used as zoning tools to help keep the view and access to an area at the same time. The early childhood part of the exhibit could be built with more textures and sensory-rich games. The middle childhood section, however, could be designed to have more complex games and activities.
The outdoor play center design will be deliberated
Incorporating Nature Elements
Natural Landscaping: The outdoor play area will provide green spaces with a selection of trees, shrubs, and flowers and be home to attractive playground equipment. This space will give the setting a welcoming and relaxing feeling. We will include natural materials, including wood and stone, in the play structures and benches to develop a sense of awareness of the outdoor environment.
Sensory Gardens: Tactile sensory gardens with plants having a variety of dimensions, odors, and colors will offer sensory options that will also provide an avenue for relaxation. Raising garden beds will transform the children to experience gardening activities, which will, in turn, develop environmental attention and commitment.
Playground Equipment Selection
Cognitive Development Equipment: The construction of learning stations (like nature trails and observation areas) will aid in the development of the thirst for knowledge, observation, and scientific research in children. Information panels and interpretive displays will give a chance to be outdoors while learning and discovering things (Fernandes & Ubalde-López, 2023).
Physical Development Structures: Children’s gross motor skills shall be developed through climbing walls, rope courses, and obstacle courses, which will also involve practicing their strength, balance, and coordination skills while at the same time enabling them to take risks in a safe environment. A place for swing sets, slides, and merry-go-rounds will be set aside to promote physical activity and sensory stimulation.
Social Development Features: Teams, multi-player games, and cooperation on the play structures will be promoted to cultivate teamwork, communication, and social skills. Picnic spots alongside outdoor eating places will be facilitators of community involvement and peer bonding around eating and group assignments.
Emotional Development Elements: Withdrawal spaces, for example, shade reading niches or meditation gardens, will be places for silence, reflection, and balancing feelings. Sensory playgrounds with sand play boxes, water tables, and mud kitchens will be the areas where the children will experience these tactile and grounding activities, thus building sensory perception and emotional expression in them.
Safety Considerations: It is hard to overstate safety’s importance in outdoor play center designs. All the play equipment, including the play structure, meets standards of safety and is supervised regularly for maintenance and inspections. The humanizers like soft surfaces made of rubber mulch or artificial turf that are resilient and can cushion falls to reduce the risk of fracture and injury. The playroom will have fencing and gates, which will keep the supervision and security of everyone inside.
Separating Space for Early Childhood and Middle Childhood: As it does in the indoor play center, the outdoor center will contain specially designated areas for the early childhood and middle childhood periods, thus catering to the peculiar developmental needs and likes of the two age groups. To reduce a barrier, there will be light elements such as lawn, signage, or plants where specific zones will be designated, but still, everyone will have full access and visibility. The initial stage of life can be designed with more sensory-enriched activities and child-friendly construction. At the same time, the middle childhood area can be prepared with challenging physical activities and social play options.
Activity Schedule
A schedule of daily activities will serve as a compass highlighting the types of indoor and outdoor activities available at the play center. Through the usage of structured actions, therapeutic interventions, educational opportunities, and rest activities, we hope to achieve the main goal of the long-term care hospital. This goal is to improve the engagement, learning, and well-being of children during their stay in the facility.
Balancing Structured and Unstructured Playtime: The program will cover both structured and unstructured playtime assignments for children wanting such. Organized activities consisting of many things, such as directing games, arts and crafts, and story time, are the moments in which children can develop skills, enrich their social life, and enjoy multiple sensory experiences. Programmed playtime encourages children to carry out things they like to be involved in, such as self-paced activities, which give them the freedom to experience different things.
Incorporating Therapy Sessions: The facility’s rehab program will entail multiple therapeutic interventions, e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, all of which shall be integrated into the activity schedule. The timing of the therapy sessions will be discussed so that they will take place when children are at their peak energy levels and most attentive to guarantee the most effectiveness. Together with the play center team, therapists will embed therapeutic activities into the play-based activities that are done to provide a context for learning and practice in a real-life situation.
Justification for Stakeholders
One of the biggest concerns for stakeholders that may arise is the allocation of the limited rooms in the hospital to the play center. Nevertheless, it is playtime that has been proven time and again to play a vital role in the overall wellness and development of children. In addition to allocating the room to an indoor/outdoor play area, we are concerned about the overall health of our young patients and, hence, their physical and emotional aspects, as well as the cognitive rehabilitation processes.
VII. Conclusion
In summary, the development of the indoor/outdoor playroom in our long-term care hospital will bring much better services to the children we have in our facility. Through the realization of particular requirements for early and middle childhood and then such special play area creation, we can ensure that children will get full-scale development in terms of physical, emotional, social, and mental well-being.
References
Dinkel, D., Dev, D., Guo, Y., Sedani, A., Hulse, E., Rida, Z., & Abel, K. (2020). Comparison of urban and rural physical activity and outdoor play environments of childcare centers and family childcare homes. Family & community health, 43(4), 264-275.
Fernandes, A., Ubalde-López, M., Yang, T. C., McEachan, R. R., Rashid, R., Maitre, L., … & Vrijheid, M. (2023). School-Based interventions to support healthy indoor and outdoor environments for children: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1746.
Moreira, M., Veiga, G., Lopes, F., Hales, D., & Cordovil, R. (2023). Quality of the Opportunities for Preschoolers’ Physical Activity in Portuguese Kindergartens. Education Sciences, 13(8), 830.
Niblett, B., Hiscott, K., Power, M., & McFarlane, H. (2020). Partnering for outdoor play: A case study of forest and nature school programming in the context of licensed child care in Ottawa, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education (CJEE), 23(2), 67-85.
Rohde, J. F., Larsen, S. C., Sederberg, M., Bahrenscheer, A., Nielsen, A. K., Heitmann, B. L., & Specht, I. O. (2023). Outdoor kindergartens: a structural way to improve early physical activity behaviour?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 5131.
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